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Chapter 15 Guided Notes
Physical Geography of Russia and the Republics: A Land of Extremes From the frozen Arctic tundra of Siberia to the deserts of Kazakhstan, size and climate help define Russia and its former republics. Section 1: Landforms and Resources • Flat plains stretch across the western and central areas of the region. In the south and east, the terrain is more mountainous. • Many resources in Russia and the Republics are in hard-to-reach regions with brutal climates. Northern Landforms • Russia and the Republics cover 1/6 of earth’s land surface, three times the land area of U.S., region crosses 11 time zones Northern European Plain West Siberian Plain
• Northern European Plain an extensive lowland area, • Ural Mountains—separate Northern European Plain from stretches over 1,000 miles the West Siberian Plains • Plain lies between Urals and Yenisey River • chernozem—world’s most fertile soil, abundant in area Central Siberian Plateau Russian Far East
• Central Siberian Plateau between Yenisey and Lena rivers; • East of Lena River is Russian Far East and system of volcanic ranges high plateaus that average 1,000 to 2,000 feet • Kamchatka Peninsula has 120 volcanoes, 20 still active Southern Landforms The Caucasus and Other Mountains • Caucasus Mountains lie between Black Sea and Caspian Sea o border between Russia, Transcaucasia—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia • Central Asia region includes “stan” republics o Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan • Southern border a massive wall of mountains, including the Tian Shan Rivers and Lakes Drainage Basins and Rivers • Ob, Yenisey, and Lena rivers drain over 3 million square miles
• Volga River, longest river in Europe (2300 miles), drains Caspian Sea basin; carries 60% of Russia’s river traffic Lakes • Caspian Sea is 750-mile-long (north to south) saltwater lake; largest inland sea in world • Aral Sea, east of Caspian, is also saltwater; has lost 80% of water volume since 1960 due to irrigation Lake Baikal
• Deepest lake in world: a mile from surface to bottom at deepest point
• 400 miles long, holds 20% of world’s fresh water; very clean lake Regional Resources Abundant Resources Resource Management • Huge reserves of coal, iron ore, other metals • Hard to get at and move resources due to climates, terrain, distances • Region also a leading producer of oil and natural gas o petroleum deposits around Caspian Sea among • many resources are in Siberia—frigid, arctic area of Asia world’s largest • Mining, oil & gas production cause environmental damage • Forests have 1/5 of world’s timber • Hydroelectric plants damage animal/ plant habitats thru: • Large producer of hydroelectric power due to rivers o Damming, discharge of unusually hot water (thermal pollution) Section 2: Climate and Vegetation • Much of Russia and the Republics lie in subarctic and tundra climate zones. • In the region’s southern areas, semiarid and desert climates feature warmer winters and hot summers. A Climate of Extremes Major Climate Regions
• Humid continental and subarctic climates dominate region • Distance from sea also creates extreme temperatures o average Siberian temperatures are usually below 50° F; • Continentality—effect the region’s enormous size has on its Siberian temperatures can drop below -90° F climates • Siberians use frozen lakes/rivers as roads for part of year o Distance from sea decreases precipitation; moisture from • Region has permafrost that reaches depths of 1,500 feet Atlantic Ocean is lost further inland
• Warmer, semiarid and desert climates in Central Asia • Moist Mediterranean air creates subtropical climate in o southeast mountain wall blocks moist Indian, Pacific Transcaucasia ocean air o region’s health resorts were once tourist destinations Vegetation Regions - The 4 major vegetation regions run east to west in wide strips Tundra Forest • Mostly in Arctic climate zone; only specific vegetation can • South of tundra: taiga—largest forest on earth, mostly survive; mosses, lichen, small herbs, low shrubs coniferous; deciduous trees dominate lower latitudes Steppe Desert • Temperate grassland from southern Ukraine to Altay Mtns. • Wide plains in west and central areas of Central Asia • Highly fertile chernozem soil; region is major source of grain • Two main deserts together cover 230,000 square miles: for Russia and the Republics Kara Kum (Turkmenistan), Kyzyl Kum (Uzbekistan) Section 3: Human-Environment Interaction • The region’s harsh climate has been both an obstacle and an advantage to its inhabitants. The Shrinking Aral Sea A Disappearing Lake • Aral Sea gets water from Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers • In ’50s, rivers are drawn on to irrigate Central Asian cotton fields; rivers becomes a trickle, sea begins to evaporate The Effects of Agriculture • Pesticides and fertilizers for cotton are picked up by runoff (rainfall not absorbed by soil, runs into streams and rivers) • Retreating sea waters expose fertilizers, pesticides, salt; windstorms blow them onto nearby populations • Substances increase diseases: throat cancer, typhoid, hepatitis; Central Asia child mortality rates are among highest in world Saving the Aral • To maintain present lake level, 9 of 18 million farm acres have to go; would cause great hardship for farmers The Russian Winter Coping in Siberia • 32 million Siberians live with the earth’s most variable temperature
• City of Verkhoyansk can be -90° F in winter, 94° F in summer; most of the time it is cold • Warm weather melts ice, forms pools, swamps that become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, black flies
• Buildings on permafrost sink and fall when their heat thaws ground; buildings must be set off ground on concrete pillars War and “General Winter” • Harsh climate has helped Russia fight off invaders; In early 1800s, French leader Napoleon Bonaparte conquers Europe
• Bonaparte invades Russia from Poland in 1812; arrives in Moscow in September, as winter begins • Muscovites burn the city leaving no shelter; Napoleon retreats; cold helps doom 90% of his 100,000 men Crossing the “Wild East” -- The Trans-Siberian Railroad • In late 1800s, Siberia is like U.S. “Wild West”; travel is dangerous, slow
• Emperor orders 5,700-mile Trans-Siberian Railroad built; links Moscow to Pacific port of Vladivostok An Enormous Project • From 1891 to 1903, 70,000 workers move 77 million cubic feet of earth, clear 100,000 acres of forest; bridge many rivers Resource Wealth in Siberia • Railroad helps populate area so resources can yield profit • In first 10 years, 5 million people use railway to settle Siberia; begin mining coal, iron ore